Evidence of meeting #38 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was protection.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Yes. It means, in my understanding--I may be wrong on this, and I'll need some clarification. At our next meeting we have Bill C-300. When we go to committee business, this would be the motion that would come up.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
I want to make sure that we'll go back to this motion. I don't know, and maybe the clerk can help us here, but as the motion is live, we would not return to the regular business; we would finish this business first. Can we get clarification on that? If you don't have it right now, I'd like it soon, because that would influence how I vote.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
All right. I'll ask our clerk.
Were you wanting to speak to that? Mr. Obhrai, and then our clerk.
Mr. Obhrai, is it specifically to Mr. Dewar's point as to whether or not we go to our regular business at the next meeting or at committee business?
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Hold it, hold it. I have a right to speak and ask questions.
Conservative
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Yes, I am. I should have every right to speak here, whether Mr. Dewar likes it or not.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Just one moment. On a motion to suspend, no one has the right to debate.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I'm talking about clarification on the motion to suspend, because Mr. Dewar is asking a question. Do we go back to that situation?
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I am asking for a point of order. I can ask for a point of order, can I not?
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
At some point, what? I know there's a coalition on the other side.
Conservative
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Mr. Chair, let's be clear on this thing. Mr. Dewar used a procedure to stall. I need a clarification. As you've rightly pointed out, this is the first time this has happened. Let's get the record straight and let's get this whole process very clear, not on the basis of what the unholy coalition on the other side wants.
Why do they not allow me to talk? When they want to talk about something, it's fine with them. When Mr. Bob Rae would like to throw his snippets at others—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
That's enough. Order.
I'm going to ask our clerk to give clarification on the process that this would go to next.
The Clerk
There's no debate on Madame Lalonde's motion that the debate be adjourned, so the question is to be put right away. As for the question of whether it comes back first thing at the next meeting, I think it's something the committee has to agree on.
If we put it in committee business, then it would normally be done there. I don't think it's very clear whether we do it at the beginning or at the end. It's really a decision of the committee. The debate will return, but at what point, I don't know.
November 5th, 2009 / 10:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Yes, we can. The problem is we're working on Bill C-300, where we have very clear timelines. If this means we go back to the debate on this motion, then I don't know how that works with Bill C-300.
We have a very clear directive from the House to return Bill C-300. We have a very limited amount of days that we can listen to those witnesses on that bill, so here is where it becomes difficult.
We are now going to entertain the motion to suspend this debate.
